Martin bounces back to set space hopper world record2 November 2015A Bristol stroke survivor has bounced back to fitness and set a new world record for travelling almost ten miles - on a space hopper. Dr Martin Mienczakowski, a Research Associate at the University of Bristol, doubled the previous record for the furthest distance travelled on the rubber ball in 24 hours and has raised funds for the Stroke Association.
Cancer paper wins Research Paper of the Year2 November 2015A research paper published in 2014 by researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) and colleagues from the universities of Cambridge and Exeter has won Research Paper of the Year Award 2014 from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
Thinking Futures to share Bristol’s leading social science research2 November 2015Bristol could lead the way in becoming a ‘child-friendly’ city thanks to a project that will see young people involved in developing a child-informed vision for planners and city councils to use when designing new city layouts and reviewing existing provisions for children in cities. The project is just one of a series of initiatives being showcased by some of the UK’s leading social scientists next month as part of the University of Bristol’s Thinking Futures festival [5 to 13 Nov].
Bristol student scoops prize in national PhD competition30 October 2015A PhD student from the University of Bristol has been named as one of the winners of a prestigious national competition for his work on a new technology that could fundamentally change future wireless communications.
Between a rock and a hard place: how life survives under a glacier29 October 2015How does microbial life manage to survive in subglacial environments over millions of years? New research from the University of Bristol has found that the grinding of bedrock by glaciers and ice sheets produces a continual supply of hydrogen gas, a ready source of energy (‘food’) for many microbes. This hydrogen is most likely formed when the highly reactive surfaces of freshly fractured silicate minerals react with and split water.
An estimated two-thirds of world’s population under age of 50 are infected with herpes simplex virus type 128 October 2015More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which commonly causes ‘cold sores’ and can also cause genital herpes, according to new research by the University of Bristol and the World Health Organisation [WHO]. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, reveal the first global estimates of HSV-1 infection.
Making Bristol more child-friendly28 October 2015Children and young people are being consulted on how to make Bristol more child-friendly as part of a new research project. The aim is to create a new vision for the city acknowledging the needs of young people, which can often be overlooked.
Computer simulations reveal feeding in early animal28 October 2015Scientists have used computer simulations to reconstruct feeding in the common ancestor shared between humans and starfish, which lived over half a billion years ago.
X-rays uncover gut of 320-million-year-old-animal28 October 2015The inner workings of a tiny fossil have been studied using X-ray microscopy, revealing evidence of the digestive system for the first time. Researchers from the University of Bristol, Appalachian State University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Paul Scherrer Institut analysed the unique fossil specimen using high-energy X-rays at the Swiss Light Source in Switzerland.
From science fiction to reality – sonic tractor beam invented27 October 2015A team of researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Sussex in collaboration with Ultrahaptics have built the world’s first sonic tractor beam that can lift and move objects using sound waves.
Washington DC welcomes Bristol Fellows27 October 2015Two postgraduate students at the University of Bristol have been offered fellowships under the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s (AHRC) International Placement Scheme (IPS). The Fellowships will be based at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, USA.
University business incubator named the best in Europe for third time27 October 2015A partnership of UK universities which contributes billions to the economy has today [27 October] been named the best in Europe at helping new businesses. The University Business Incubator (UBI) Index has ranked SETsquared, a partnership of the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey, as number one for the third year running.
Research breakthrough will help clean up Sellafield 26 October 2015The timescale and costs of cleaning up one of the UK’s most hazardous buildings, Magnox Swarf Storage Silo at Sellafield, could be significantly reduced, thanks to a study involving researchers from the University of Bristol.
Focus on post-traumatic stress disorder23 October 2015On Monday 16 November, the University of Bristol will host the 2015 Colston Research Society Public Lecture, which this year addresses innovations in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Obstacle avoidance by echolocating bats: it might be simpler than it sounds22 October 2015Bats compare the volume of an echo in both left and right ears then turn away from the side receiving the loudest echo in order to avoid obstacles, new research from the University of Bristol, published today in PLOS Computational Biology, has found.
Tracing cyanobacteria’s tree of life in Earth’s extreme environments21 October 2015The tree of life of cyanobacteria, a key group of microorganisms widely considered to be the most successful on Earth, which emphasises cyanobacteria from extremely cold habitats such as the Poles and the high mountains on every continent, has been reconstructed by Dr Patricia Sánchez-Baracaldo and colleagues from the Glaciology Centre in Bristol’s School of Geographical Sciences.
Seeing colour in a contemporary light21 October 2015Colours are not physical things but the result of a process that starts in the eye and continues in the brain. The limits of colour constancy, when the colours of objects appears the same under different lights - from daylight to LED light, will be explored by a leading visual neuroscientist at a free University of Bristol public lecture next week [Thursday 29 October].
Young researcher wins 3rd Corinna Seith award21 October 2015Dr Alison Gregory from the University’s Centre for Academic Primary Care is joint winner of the 2015 Corinna Seith Award, run by Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE).
Bristol announces new £4.1M cancer research programme
21 October 2015A major new £4.1 million cancer research programme that will focus on new ways to prevent and predict cancer development and progression is announced today [21 Oct] by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the University of Bristol.
Mending the smallest of broken hearts20 October 2015Researchers at the University of Bristol have been awarded over £170,000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to produce a graft which may reduce the number of surgeries required to treat children born with certain types of congenital heart disease.
Towards greener ICT20 October 2015The University of Bristol is leading the way to a greener computing future by bringing together academics and industry to share research and to develop a common vision on lowering energy consumption in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).
Queen or worker? Flexibility between roles relies on just a few genes19 October 2015Two insect species from Latin America, the dinosaur ant and the red paper wasp, have been used to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning queen and worker roles in social insects. The research by an international team of scientists brings us closer to understanding how genomes are used to generate castes in social evolution.
Research on 377,000 people worldwide highlights the role of genes in eczema19 October 2015Eczema – an itchy dry-skin condition – affects an estimated one in five children and one in 12 adults in the UK. Genes play an important role in determining how likely we are to develop eczema but the majority of the genes that cause the condition have yet to be detected.
Professor Niall Rudd, 1927-201519 October 2015Niall Rudd, Emeritus Professor of Latin at Bristol, died earlier this month. Professor Neville Morley and Emeritus Professor Richard Buxton offer a tribute.
Bristol engineer wins Industrial Fellowship19 October 2015Alexander Ballisat, a Doctoral student in the Faculty of Engineering, has won a prestigious award from the Royal Commission of the Exhibition of 1851.
Academics present new breakthroughs for fundamental problems in computer science19 October 2015Academics from the University of Bristol will present new breakthroughs on two fundamental problems in computer science. These results will be presented at the world's leading international conference in computer science this week.
Bristol graduate joins the Red Arrows19 October 2015A University of Bristol graduate will soon be soaring through the skies as part of the famous Red Arrows team after securing his dream job. Flight Lieutenant Matt Masters, who graduated from the University of Bristol in 1998 with a Masters of Engineering degree, will undertake six months of intensive training and practice sorties in preparation for the 2016 display season.
Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Award 201516 October 2015The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Award this year has been given to Dr Hannah Christensen and Professor Matt Hickman for developing mathematical models that could help prevent infectious disease.
